Emergency power system for submarines



Oct. 10, 1961 s. M. GAY, JR 3,003,448

EMERGENCY POWER SYSTEM FOR SUBMARINES Filed Sept. 24, 1959 FIG.

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,4 I ,l J I I 7 I INVENTOR.

SHELTON M. GAY, JR.

ATTORNEY 3,003,448 EMERGENCY POWER SYSTEM FOR SUBMARINES Shelton M. Gay, Jr., Vienna, Va, assignor, by mesne assignments, to PneumoDynamics Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 842,043 4 Claims. (Cl. 114-16) This invention relates to emergency power systems and more particularly to an emergency power system suitable for use in a submarine or the like.

It is an important object of this invention to provide an emergency power system for submarines or the like.

It is another important object of this invention to provide an emergency power system in combination with a submarine having water-tight compartments wherein power is derived by exhausting sea water from a hydraulic motor into the interior water-tight voids of the submarine.

It is another object of this invention provide a submarine having water-tight compartments in combination with an emergency power system including a hydraulic motor operated by sea water which is exhausted into the compartments of the submarine.

Further objects and advantages will appear from the following description and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic side elevation of a typical submarine incorporating an emergency power system according to this invention; and

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged schematic illustration of one preferred emergency power system illustrating the valving arrangement which permits the exhausting of the hydraulic motor to selected interior compartments of the submarine.

A typical submarine includes a pressure hull which is divided into a number of water-tight compartments illustrated at 11, 12, 13, and 14. The particular arrangement of the compartments or the number of compartments is determined by the submarine design and is not critical to this invention. It the submarine is submerged and an emergency occurs which causes a loss of the normal power, it is essential to establish an emergency power source to be used While repairs are being performed or to permit the operation of an escape mechanism for the personnel. In the modern submarines which operate at great depths, a very high sea water pressure is present when compared to the pressure within the hull and this differential pressure is utilized in a system according to this invention to operate a hydraulic motor.

In the illustrated embodiment, a hydraulic motor 16 is connected through piping 17, a valve 18, and an inlet port 19 to the outer surface of the pressure hull 10. Preferably, the port 19 is closed by a series of screens 21 which prevent foreign matter from entering the system and causing malfunction of the hydraulic motor or clogging of the piping. The exhaust of the hydraulic motor is connected through a pipe 22 and an exhaust valve 23 to a manifold 24. The manifold connects to each of a group of selector valves 26, 27, 28, and 29 wherein the selector valve 26 exhausts to the compartment 11, the selector valve 27 exhausts to the compartment 12, the selector valve 28 exhausts to the compartment 13, and the selector valve 29 exhausts to the compartment 14. The hydraulic motor can be connected to a generator 31 or to any desired load which could include the mechanical drive of the escape capsule. In the illustrated embodiment, the generator 31 would be used to supply electrical power for emergency use.

3,003,448 Patented Oct. 10, 1961 In operation, the two valves 18 and 23 are opened along with one or more of the selector valves 26 through 29 when emergency power is required. The sea water under the static pressure determined by the depth of the submarine ilows through the inlet port 19 to the hydraulic motor 16. From the hydraulic motor, it is discharged or exhausted to one or more of the compartments 11 through 14. The selection of which compartment is used is determined by the emergency condition present.

When the pressure hull is surrounded in certain areas by a superstructure or outer hull 32, the inlet 19 should be located in the zone beneath such outer hull 32. A large number of openings, schematically illustrated at 33, are provided in such outer hulls so that the superstructure will not be exposed to the collapsing forces of the sea water so this eliminates the possibility of obstacles blocking the inlet port. When the inlet port is located in this manner, the efiiect is to provide many alternate inlets to insure system reliability. Even when such an outer hull is not available, the inlet 19 should be located away from the bottom of the submarine so that the inlet will not be blocked in the event the submarine rests on the ocean bottom.

Although a preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated, it will be realized that various modifications of the structural details may be made without departing from the mode of operation and the essence of the invention. Therefore, except insofar as they are claimed in the appended claims, structural details may be varied widely without modifying the mode of operation. Accordingly, the appended claims and not the aforesaid detailed description are determinative of the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An emergency power system comprising a submarine having separate water-tight compartments, a hydraulic motor, an inlet connecting said motor to the exterior of said submarine, and valved exhaust means selectively connecting said motor to said compartments.

2. An emergency power system comprising a submarine having separate water-tight compartments, a hydraulic motor, an inlet connecting said motor to the exterior of said submarine at a point spaced from the bottom thereof, and valved exhaust means selectively connecting said motor to said compartments.

3. An emergency power system comprising a submarine having separate water-tight compartments, a hydraulic motor, a generator connected to be driven by said motor, an inlet connecting said motor to the exterior of said submarine at a point spaced from the bottom thereof, and valved exhaust means selectively connecting said motor to said compartments.

4. An emergency power system comprising a submarine having a pressure hull divided into separate compartmens, an outer hull on the exterior of said pressure hull having openings allowing sea water pressure to reach said pressure hull, a hydraulic motor, a load coupled to said motor, an inlet connecting said motor to the exterior of said pressure hull at a point within said outer hull, and valved exhaust means selectively connecting said motor to said compartments.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 696,972 Holland Apr. 8, 1902 821,895 Spear May 29, 1906 1,293,110 Karafas Feb. 4, 1919 

